The Legend of Zelda series has become an iconic part of gaming culture and the expectations riding on new titles are often outlandishly high.
There has never been a “bad” Zelda game and trying to keep this two-decade streak while balancing innovation and fan expectation is a major undertaking.
With Nintendo’s new Wii U console an even greater challenge is present: navigating the pitfalls of high-definition graphics for the first time while applying the features of the Wii U’s unique GamePad controller.
The solution: a remake!
By using an existing game that’s renowned for gameplay, plot and music you’re guaranteed success – which is not necessarily a blunt or irresponsible move.
But is Wind Waker the right candidate for Nintendo’s first HD Zelda remake?
Back in 2003 The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker graced the GameCube with its cute cel shaded graphics and sandbox world of small islands.
The player uses a magical baton called the Wind Waker that allows control over the wind. By manipulating the wind direction the player sets sail to various islands and dungeons that make up game’s wonderful world.
The standard Zelda themes and concepts remain in Wind Waker and without going into detail (I’m sure you can Google it) Wind Waker is one of the very best titles in the series and it’s a brilliant game worthy of it’s widely acclaimed fame.
Our hero, Link, is not given the direct “save Princess Zelda” order as with other titles and it takes a while for the plot to peak. However it is worth every minute and interacting with the different characters draws you into this appealing realm.
Be warned though – cute graphics and innocent looking animations can be deceiving! The puzzles and dungeons within Wind Waker are as challenging as any other Zelda game and the underlying themes ensure a rather emotional journey.
It can be argued that Wind Waker aged incredibly well. The game remains modern in terms of mechanics and there are no outdated or irrelevant restrictions that you might find in some of the older Zelda games (such as awkward save points or hardware-imposed restrictions).
On top of that, the cartoon-like cel shaded graphics stood the test of time and very little can be done to enhance or improve the appearance of this style.
So in general terms remaking Wind Waker isn’t such a big challenge because the game is already in top form. So why do it?
It’s a safety net. There’s no way you can screw-up Wind Waker and it gives Nintendo the “Zelda HD” achievement. In my opinion Nintendo took the easy way out of their first Zelda title on the Wii U but I completely understand why they took this route.
Right – now let’s talk about The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD and what it brings to the table.
The first obvious thing is the HD-ness of the game. The cel shaded style is crisp and cheerful and there’s a nice new dynamic lighting effect on the models. It’s undoubtedly a good-looking game but it doesn’t showcase what the Wii U is capable of producing.
Some of the horrible camera-issues with the original GameCube version of the game are patched up and the Wii U hardware allows for increased depth-of-field.
The next evident improvement is the GamePad control scheme. The touchscreen displays your bag with all the various items and gadgets as well as a map of the current dungeon.
Players can also play the game off-TV using only the GamePad’s screen as the primary display.
Thankfully Nintendo decided not to jump back on the motion-control track and Wind Waker HD is controlled with the analogue sticks on the GamePad. This traditional approach also enables the Wii U Pro Controller to be used, which turned out to be more comfortable than expected.
Another new feature is the Tingle Bottle Miiverse mechanic but it’s so useless that I’m not going to say anything more about it.
It’s refreshing to see such a vibrant and colourful Zelda title on the Wii U but it’s evident that Nintendo is holding back. Wind Waker is an incredibly good game that many South Africans might have missed and if you haven’t played it before you’re in for a treat.
Unfortunately if you have played Wind Waker before there isn’t really anything that will astound you in this HD remake.
What we do know is that Wind Waker HD marks the start of the next revolution in Zelda games and that things can only get better for this series.
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How can you call it an incredibly good game and give it 72%? The game has a metacritic average of 90%. I bought the game and it is truly awesome!